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Called By God
and will be evidenced in the varied and expanding gifts according to
the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
2. Further, in view of the widespread lack of support for the ordination
of women to the gospel ministry in the world church and in view of
the possible risk of disunity, dissension, and diversion from the mission of
the church, we do not approve ordination of women to the gospel
ministry. (The vote was 1,173 supporting the action with 377 against.)
—Adventist Review, July 13, 1990, p. 15.
Performing marriages allowed to certain licensed and
commissioned ministers in approving divisions only
Voted, to amend Church Manual, page 59,The Marriage Ceremony, to
read as follows:
The Marriage Ceremony.—In the marriage ceremony the charge, vows,
and declaration of marriage are given only by an ordained minister
except in those areas where division committees have taken action to
approve that selected licensed or commissioned ministers who have
been ordained as local elders may perform the marriage ceremony.
—Adventist Review, July 19, 1990, p. 10.( The 1989 Annual Council
action re women ministers’ baptizing stands unchanged. See p. 135.)
Proposal at 1995 General Conference Defeated
In the business sessions of the 1995 General Conference in Utrecht,
the Netherlands, a proposal was brought by the North American
Division that each division be allowed to decide for its own territory
whether ordination to the gospel ministry could include people of
both genders. On July 5 the motion was defeated.
Elder Alfred C. McClure, North American Division president, wrote,
“Although I was praying for a positive outcome, the motion was
defeated.” In a letter sent out to all NAD pastors and administrators
on Aug. 3, 1995, he appealed “that you join me in praying that God
will help us through this very delicate time. As painful as this issue is to
many, we must not allow it to splinter our unity or divert out mission.”
Columbia Union Conference in 2004 requests General
Conference again to consider issue of ordination of women
The Columbia Union Conference voted on May 17, 2004, to ask the
General Conference again to consider the issue of extending full ordination to women in ministry. A resolution was unanimously voted
acknowledging the need for change on this issue.
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